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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522061">His World Turned Upton Down</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsteadheart/pseuds/upsteadheart'>upsteadheart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chicago PD (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:01:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,729</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522061</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsteadheart/pseuds/upsteadheart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jay Halstead runs the biggest consulting firm in the world alongside his best friend, and has what the average Joe would consider to be all he could ever want. Until the day a short, blonde possible new hire walks into his office, flashing him her captivating emerald eyes, and his world is turned Upton -- I mean, upside down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jay Halstead &amp; Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>151</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Well frankly, I don’t really care what Mr. Anderson thinks. I didn’t grow the biggest consulting firm in the world by turning a blind eye to high-risk ventures, and you can tell him that if the new deal with Boeing makes him nervous, I can have his position filled within the hour.” Jay Halstead spat into the phone, before all but slamming the device back in its holder on his desk.</p><p>Feeling his nerves sky-high, he stepped over to the panoramic windows of his office, loosening the tie around his neck as he looked over the Chicago city sky-line, catching his breath after the rather stressful call he’d been on for the past forty-five minutes.</p><p>Something about looking out the window from the 50th floor made everything outside look so still and calm. </p><p>The door to his office suddenly swung open, making the CEO spin around to see his best friend and business partner Adam come flying in like he was about to tell him the world was caving in.</p><p>“You know, it’s funny, I remember having a door.” Jay joked, making Adam laugh.</p><p>“Ooh, loose tie. Take it the call with Anderson’s team didn’t go so well?” Adam Ruzek was his business partner, partner in crime, and other half in more ways than he could count, but the man had also been his best friend since they were in the fifth grade, so he’d learned to read the man fairly well in the last sixteen years.</p><p>Jay released a breath, cooling himself down before he inadvertently took out his frustrations on his friend. “To me, the math is simple. Boeing is one of our highest-paying clients, and they’re coming to us on what’s potentially their biggest transaction of the decade.</p><p>We ran the risk-consult like always, there are risks just like there always is when we’re talkin’ about this much money, but the finance team is ready to move forward on it. Now suddenly Anderson’s getting cold feet about havin’ the firm’s name attached to the deal and the possible blowback we could face if it goes sideways.” Adam rolled his eyes as Jay ranted about the phone call.</p><p>“I take it you reminded him that we’re the number one consulting firm in the world because we have a long history of takin’ on high-risk clients?” He suggested. “Verbatim.” Jay confirmed.</p><p>Adam nodded his head, now seeing the root cause of his partner’s frustration. “It’s your firm, man. You got it to where it is because you make the final calls and always do so with its best interests in mind. I’m backing you on this deal 110%.” He assured his best friend.</p><p>“Thanks, brother.” The two embraced. “So, if you’re ready now for some good news.” Adam brought up. “Please.” Jay all but begged, returning to his desk and sitting in his chair, as Adam dropped to the one in front of it.</p><p>“So, I know you cringe every time I tell you there’s a new prospect comin’ in to be interviewed to fill your assistant position after Millie retires next month.” Now it was Jay’s turn to roll his eyes.</p><p>The sixty-five-year-old had put in her two weeks’ notice of her retirement two days earlier, and given Jay an extra month’s heads up out of respect, to give him time to fill her position with someone qualified and who he could depend on like he’d been able to trust her.</p><p>But, of the dozen possible hires Jay had interviewed, not one of them jumped out at him, and if they got close, it wasn’t for good reason.</p><p>“I know what you’re gonna say, man. But before you react to quick, check this girl out. Kim just emailed you her resume.” Jay puffed, rolling his chair over to his computer and opening up his inbox, finding the message in question from Adam’s assistant who’d been coordinating all the interviews.</p><p>As Jay opened the attached file, he nearly fainted at the sight of her picture. “Her name is Hailey Upton.” Adam told him, as if Jay hadn’t seen her name printed write there in her CV.</p><p>“Graduated top of her class, got an IQ through the roof, and when we called around on the background check, people didn’t have enough good things to say about her.” He gave Jay the footnotes.</p><p>Jay tried his best to look past the stunning blonde’s picture to read up more her, but his eyes seemed to just keep coming back.</p><p>“Ruze, I’m not seein’ any recommendations from her last firm in here.” Jay noted. “Only thing we couldn’t get a clear answer on.</p><p>We asked a bunch of her ex-colleagues and higher-ups while each of them raved about her work ethic, personality traits and what not… But it was the one topic of conversation that kept getting shut down when it came up.” Adam explained.</p><p>Jay nodded, finishing up his scan of the potential-hire’s file. “Well, the rest of her file reads so perfectly it’s almost too good to be true. So, I will give her the benefit of the doubt when I interview her this afternoon, sus it out myself, and take it from there.” He decided.</p><p>“You’re the boss.” Adam told him, before standing back up to get back to his own busy schedule. “Thanks, man.” Jay said to his best friend, before turning back to his computer screen to stare at the blonde’s picture for another couple of minutes.</p><p>“Hailey Upton, huh… Wow.” He whispered to himself.</p><p>——</p><p>After lunch, a knock came at Jay’s office door. “Come in.” He called out, looking up as the door opened up and Millie stepped part of the way in.</p><p>“Jay, your three o’clock is here.” His stomach instantly squeezed. Hailey Upton. Funny how this was interview number fifteen and he hadn’t felt this way as any of them were introduced before her.</p><p>“Uh, yeah. Send her in.” Jay told his assistant, standing up and straightening up his suit. Millie turned her head towards the other side of the door.</p><p>“Go on in.” She encouraged, before a short blonde in a nice black suit and matching black heels stepped inside. Though she may as well have been wearing a paper bag. All Jay noticed were her captivating green eyes.</p><p>The blonde smiled up at his, making Jay take full notice of her dimples. Of course, she would have dimples. “Thank you, Millie.” Jay told his assistant, before she stepped back out.</p><p>“Mr. Halstead, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The blonde politely greeted, extending a hand in Jay’s direction.</p><p>“The pleasure’s all mine, Ms. Upton. And please, Jay. I may be a stuffy businessman, but being called ‘Sir’ or ‘Mr.’ makes me feel like one.” Jay joked, making Hailey chuckled softly, her nose crinkling a tad.</p><p>Hailey nodded. “Alright then, Jay.” She tried out the name, feeling a tad out of place referring to a potential employer by his first name. “If I may be so bold then, just call me Hailey.” The blonde requested.</p><p>To which Jay nodded. “Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.</p><p>Hailey pressed down her suit, before taking the offered seat and crossing a leg over the other. Jay returned to his own seat, pulling up her file on the computer in front of him.</p><p>“I must say, Hailey,” Jay tried out the name, making her smile back at him politely, “your file is incredibly impressive.” Jay complimented, making her beam shyly.</p><p>“It’s clear that HEH would be lucky to have you working for us, to say the least. But let’s start with you.” Jay directed.</p><p>“Why us?” He asked Hailey very simply. “Why do I want to work here, you mean?” She clarified, her brow furrowing adorably.</p><p>Jay nodded. “Yeah, overall picture. Why did you choose to come work here when there are thousands of consulting firms out there to choose from?” He rephrased.</p><p>Hailey nodded, taking a second to put an answer together. “I don’t have to tell you that you’re the number one consulting firm in the world. I’d sound pretty idiotic if I told the CEO of the company that himself.” Jay laughed at that, easing her nerves a tad.</p><p>“As I’m sure you can tell by my CV, I’m an overachiever. I like to aim high because it allows me to challenge myself. Life’s not all that much fun if you never take risks and go only as high as you’re comfortable with.” She answered his query.</p><p>“As into myself as it may make me sound, I’m quite well aware of my intellect, my skill, and what I bring with me to offer potential employers.</p><p>I could go interview at a smaller-scale, lower-level firm, and most likely get hired on the spot, but have to ask myself for the rest of my career how my life might’ve looked if I had aimed higher.</p><p>So, I aimed higher. The worst that could possibly happen today is that I don’t meet your criteria, I leave here today and never hear back from your firm,” fat chance of that, Jay thought to himself, “and I move on, knowing that I tried and it just wasn’t meant to be.” Hailey concluded, leaving Jay more than impressed.</p><p>And that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the interview. It was just instance after instance of Jay asking Hailey a question, and the blonde returning with an answer even more impressive than the last.</p><p>She even made him laugh a couple of times, which is far more than any other applicants had accomplished in their interviews.</p><p>By the time Jay checked the clock on the wall again, he realized that the two of them had just breezed right through a full hour.</p><p>“Well, listen, Hailey. I’ve kept you here way longer than I needed to, hopefully I wasn’t keeping you from anything important.” Hailey shook her head and smiled at him politely.</p><p>“One last question I do have to ask.” She nodded her head, a suspicion sneaking up on her of just where this question of his was heading. “Your application came without any recommendations from your former firm.” And there it was.<br/>A small sigh escaped her, suddenly concerning the man in front of her. “I parted from my last firm on not so great terms.” Hailey admitted to him, her smiling face now having fallen to a grimmer looking sight.</p><p>Hailey gnawed at her lip, trying to keep her emotions at bay and keep herself together. “The reason for that being? And I ask, because from what my business partner tells me of having spoken to some of your ex-colleagues, they had nothing but good things to say about you, until it came to the topic of your departure.” Jay questioned.</p><p>She nodded her head a few times, not quite sure how to address this. “I would tell you in a heartbeat if I could. Because from the second I walked into the building I was greeted in ways I have never seen in any other corporate office I’ve walked through.</p><p>And I could so easily see myself working here. But as part of a legal agreement to be released by my former firm, I had to sign an NDA, stating that I would not discuss the terms of my departure, nor the reasons. If I do, I could be sued. And considering I walked out without a penny, I don’t currently have the means to afford being sued.” She gulped, attempting to push down the memory.</p><p>Jay felt his heart break at the sight of the pain that crossed Hailey’s eyes. Clearly the memories of whatever had happened at her former job left the young woman with ghosts and demons that seemed to haunt her quite a bit, and who was he to make her relive them to get an answer that at this point held no relevancy here, considering how over-qualified she was for this position.</p><p>“Listen, I fully understand and respect how this might affect things, --” “You’ve got the job.” Jay fully stunned her, sending the blonde into complete silence.</p><p>But when her head snapped back up to look at him, Jay was just smiling at her with a thousand-watt smile. “I –” A soft chuckle escaped him.</p><p>“As far as I’m concerned, this is my company, and my firm. Much like you, I’m very comfortably confident in my intellect and skill, and that includes my instinct.</p><p>For whatever reason, I’ve trusted you since the minute my partner sent me your file, and you’ve proven every one of my suspicions in the last hour that you’ve been here.</p><p>Unless you have something else lined up…” “No. No, no. Not at all. Um… Wow. Thank you. So much.” Hailey babbled.</p><p>Jay threw her another one of those smiles that made her just a tad weak. “My assistant will contact you later this week to send you any and all paperwork you’ll need, and she’ll be giving you your orientation herself at some point later this week as well.” He told her.</p><p>“Sounds good.” Hailey replied. “Alright then. Congratulations, Ms. Upton. Sorry – Hailey.” Jay corrected himself, making her smile expand, as the two exchanged a handshake.</p><p>“Thank you, Si – Jay.” Hailey then corrected herself. “I’ll see you soon.” He closed off, before she nodded at him and made her way back out the door she’d come in through before.</p><p>Once the door closed, Jay released a breath he hadn’t been aware of holding in since she’d first walked into his office. “Wow.” He repeated to himself, shaking it off before heading back to work with an irremovable smile plastered on his features.</p><p>To be continued…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking back into 1800 Wabash Monday morning and onto the elevator, Hailey’s heart was racing faster than light. She had a list longer than her arm of reasons why this job needed to pan out, and on top of her already heightened nerves, her chest was also heavy with first-day anxieties.</p><p>Folding down the new dress she’d gotten for her first day, and taking as deep a breath as she could manage, the blonde rode the elevator up to the same floor she had the day of her interview, stepping into the bullpen quite relieved to see things absolutely crazy here today. That just meant less attention on her as she came in.</p><p>Finally, a familiar face came into view, as Millie rose from her desk, and met Hailey halfway, a warm friendly smile on the older woman’s features.</p><p>“Hi, Hailey. Welcome back to HEH. How are ya feelin’?” Millie asked her. “Uh… Too many things at once.” Hailey replied honestly, making the other woman pay her a sympathetic laugh.</p><p>“Well, you’ve already passed the boss’ first checkmark, and you’re here thirty minutes earlier than requested.” Jay’s assistant told her.</p><p>Hailey smiled short. “From a young age my mother taught me the three p’s of professionalism; punctuality, prudence and perseverance. I always give in excess what I wish to receive in return.” She replied to her.</p><p>Millie nodded her head, smiling at the young woman. “Yeah, Jay’s gonna love you for sure.” Something about her statement made Hailey’s heart twinge. But she pushed it back and focussed on the task at hand.</p><p>---</p><p>“And then here we are, back in the bullpen.” Millie concluded taking Hailey around on a tour of her new workplace. “And here’s where you’ll be working.” She gestured to the desk they’d stopped at.</p><p>A tall brunette approached them with a few files at hand. “Hey, Millie. Here are the documents you requested for Jay’s meeting this afternoon.” The woman told Jay’s assistant.</p><p>“Ah, yes, thank you. Hailey Upton, this is Kim Burgess, Adam Ruzek’s assistant. Hailey is Jay’s new assistant.” Millie introduced them.</p><p>The girls exchanged a warm smile and handshake. “Oh, very nice to meet you, Hailey. From the way Adam just raved about your dossier, sounds like Jay’s pretty lucky with his new number two.” Kim told her, making Hailey blushed.</p><p>“Guess only time’ll tell.” Hailey laughed nervously, garnering a sympathetic smile from the brunette. “Honestly, Jay comes across as this shark tycoon type businessman at the office, but I’ve worked here long enough and gotten to know him well enough outside of here to know that he’s a big softy on the inside.</p><p>Do your job well, alleviate as much work and pressure from his shoulders as you can, be there when he needs someone to lean on, and you’ll do just fine in this job.” Kim advised her.</p><p>“Thanks. That’s – actually pretty good advice.” Hailey answered, making Kim beam back at her. “Take a look around. Not too many women workin’ around here. Us girls gotta stick together.” She winked at Hailey.</p><p>Hailey felt even the tiniest bit of nerves leave her body after the exchange with Kim. “If ya need a thing, I’m literally right there.” Adam’s assistant told her, gesturing to her desk not twelve feet from hers.</p><p>“I appreciate that so much, thank you.” Hailey replied sincerely. “Not a worry.” Kim said, before returning to her desk.</p><p>Hailey then turned back to look at Millie, as she handed the blonde the files Kim had brought over. “Want a real taste of the job that’s about to be yours? Take these in to Jay, and see if he needs anything else before the meeting.” She instructed her.</p><p>“Sure.” Hailey smiled brightly, accepting the manila envelope, and taking what felt like a marathon runner’s length, but what was only a few steps towards Jay’s office.</p><p>She took a deep breath, before knocking on the door. “Come in.” Jay’s voice came from the other side. Hailey cleared her throat, then pushed open the door and stepped inside.</p><p>--</p><p>Jay looked up as his office door opened, catching sight of Hailey walking in with a package at hand. It took everything in him to not faint at the sight of yesterday’s pantsuit having been swapped out for a blood red sheath dress which hugged every one of her curves perfectly.</p><p>“Morning, Jay.” Hailey greeted sweetly, standing awkwardly by the door. “Morning. Common in.” Jay invited her in further.</p><p>She brought the envelope over to his desk, handing it to him. “Kim just brought this over. Documents you requested for the meeting with Anderson’s team this afternoon.” Hailey recalled from having seen his calendar earlier.</p><p>“Ah, thank you.” Jay immediately pulled out the contents, laying it out across his desk to further organize and mark-up.</p><p>Hailey nodded, her hands clasped together nervously in front of her. “Is there anything else you need?” She asked politely.</p><p>“No, this is great. Thanks, Hailey.” The blonde nodded her head with a smile, then turned around to step back out of his office.</p><p>“Oh, Hailey.” Jay called her back, momentarily halting her motion. “If you could hang back for just a bit after your shift tonight, I’d like to talk to you for a minute.” He told her.</p><p>Yeah, the mystery of that one wasn’t gonna be looming over head all day. “Okay.” Hailey agreed, before heading for the door and actually making it out this time.</p><p>Hailey closed the door behind herself, leaning her back against it and releasing a deep breath. She really did have to stop looking into his eyes. It was gonna get her into trouble.</p><p>------</p><p>If her first day was any indication of what was to come, Hailey was going to absolutely love her new job.</p><p>After all that time spent at her old firm, being treated like a piece of meat who was manning the phones, and keeping tabs on everyone’s schedules, she was working in a place where people stopped to say hi to her, who said thank you when she did something for them, and wished her a good rest of day before walking away from her.</p><p>Not to mention she’d been working there for less than a day, and already got on with Kim as if she’d been working there her whole life.</p><p>Millie sat back and watched with awe, as the new assistant commanded the job as though the position was made for her.</p><p>Having been prepared to have to take Hailey by the hand all day as she had with the last handful of possible hires Jay brought in, this was someone whose hands she could feel secure leaving her job in.</p><p>While Hailey was engrossed in her current task of setting up Jay’s calendar for the rest of the week, Millie stepped away and slipped into Jay’s office for a second.</p><p>—</p><p>“Hey. How are things going?” Jay asked his soon to be former assistant, as she came into his office. “I don’t know where you found her, Jay, but don’t ever let her go.” Millie advised him sincerely.</p><p>Jay’s brow creased at that. “Hailey?” He clarified, getting a nod back in conformation. “I haven’t given her a single instruction, or even a pointer beyond answering the girl when she asks me where this is or ‘where Jay keeps whatever.’</p><p>I don’t know if there’s some reason why she’s clinging to this job like an oxygen supply that I’m not aware of, but it took me about ten years of doing this job to reach even one iota of the skill she has.” Millie told him.</p><p>He couldn’t say he was surprised at the woman’s praise. Hailey had impressed him from the second her CV loaded up on his computer, and nearly knocked the wind out of him the first time she walked into his office.</p><p>But he’d had his own suspicions about how desperate she seemed to land this job, and between Millie’s description of her ambition, and Hailey’s own mention of something having happened at her last firm… it just made him further question it.</p><p>“I take it that’s your way of politely telling me I’d be an idiot not to keep her on?” Jay joked, making her laugh.</p><p>“I would never use those words, sir. Just suggesting that you take a moment to realize what kind of a horseshoe you sat on to have her come in here lookin’ for a job.” Millie expressed, before heading back out to check on Hailey.</p><p>As the woman stepped out, Jay caught a very brief glimpse of Hailey, running a hand through her blonde locks while engrossed in a phone call of some sort. What was it about her that made him incapable of keeping his eyes off of her and her image out of his mind?</p><p>—</p><p>A knock came at the door just as Jay was shutting down his systems for the night. “Come in.” He allowed, looking up to see Hailey step inside the office and flash him a small smile, as she stood with her hands clasped in front of her.</p><p>A soft chuckle escaped him at the sight. “Hailey, you’re my assistant, not a butler. You don’t have to come in lookin’ like you’re about to meet the queen every time you walk in here.” Jay assured her, making her take notice of the rather stiff stance she was in.</p><p>“What’s your drink of choice?” Jay asked her, stepping over to his quite extensive drink collection, neatly organized on the cart by the fake ficus in the back corner.</p><p>Hailey’s brow furrowed slightly, not quite sure why he was asking. “I – Uh… ‘d have to say tequila.” She found her words.</p><p>“The hard stuff, I respect it.” Jay smiled at her, making her relax little by little. “Well, growing up with two Greek older brothers, by the time I reached drinking age, they were fairly well-versed in the art of drink selection, and taught me well.” Hailey told him.</p><p>She watched as Jay pulled a rather expensive bottle of tequila, pouring out to glasses. Jay turned back around to face her, both glasses and hand.</p><p>“As per tradition, since you survived your first day workin’ here without a single slip up, that I heard about anyway.” Jay carried them back over to his desk.</p><p>“Grab a seat, unwind a bit. From what I’ve heard, you clearly earned it today.” Hailey smiled politely, slipping into the seat across from him, and accepting the glass Jay handed her, clinking first.</p><p>The first sip hit hard. “Wow, you weren’t kidding ‘the hard stuff.’” Hailey chuckled awkwardly, making Jay laugh in reply. “I’m somewhat of connoisseur.” Jay told her. Another data point to add to the web she was drawing up in her mind of who her new boss was as she learned new things.</p><p>“So, how’d you find your first day here?” He then asked her. “I love it.” Hailey answered him honestly.</p><p>Jay smiled at that, happy with her answer. “It’s unlike any other experience I’ve ever had working in an office.” She tacked on.</p><p>“How so?” Jay asked her. Hailey hunched a shoulder, trying to find the right words to describe it.</p><p>“Well… for starters, when you interviewed me earlier last week, I didn’t feel this… rush so many other CEOs tend to have, like you’re just a check on that day’s schedule, and you better not take up too much of their time. I dunno, seemed like… maybe you actually cared what I had to say.” Hailey told him.</p><p>“And the other people who work here, I’ve never been looked at or spoken to like a member of a team before, usually just someone to dump your work on when you don’t feel like dealing with it yourself.” She explained.</p><p>Jay nodded at that. “We take working relationships seriously here. When clients come in, we like them to feel like they’re coming home. And if we can’t make our employees feel like the same, we’ve got a problem.</p><p>You ever hear about HEH bein’ involved in any workplace harassment scandals?” Hailey shook her head at that. “It’s cause we don’t have ‘em here. And not because we pay off people who come forward with harassment complaints, but because we have a zero-tolerance policy. You make any other employee’s life here a personal hell, you’re out the door.” Jay explained.</p><p>And as he did, he saw something tick in Hailey’s eye. “Are you alright?” Her head snapped up to look at him. “Did I say something wrong?” Jay worried.</p><p>“Oh, no. No, no, no. You’re fine. I mean – you’re good – you didn’t… No.” Hailey assured him half-convincingly.</p><p>Jay felt reassured at that, but didn’t love the look in her eye any more. Finishing off the last bit of her drink, Hailey cleared her throat and rose from her seat.</p><p>“Well. Thank you for the drink and the friendly chat.” She smiled at him. Jay stood from his own and walked her to the door.</p><p>“Goodnight.” Hailey bid, opening the door. “Night.” Jay returned, watching her step out of the office and head back to her own desk, as the door closed behind her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Hailey came into work the next morning, she couldn’t help but feel like people were watching her. Her outfit wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, she wasn’t wearing any kind of wild coloured lipstick, and everything seemed fine on her way out last night. What could it be?</p><p>It continued as she came off the elevator onto the top floor. As she caught their eye, people’s heads would immediately snap away to act as though they hadn’t been staring at her. Something was going on here.</p><p>Arriving at her desk, Hailey turned on her computer and left her stuff on her chair, then stepped over to Kim’s desk, where she was just getting off a phone call.</p><p>“Hey, Kim.” The blonde smiled at Adam’s assistant. “Hey.” The brunette returned brightly. “Do I have my dress on inside out or something?” Hailey asked half-jokingly.</p><p>Kim’s brow furrowed at that. “Everybody is staring at me this morning like I’ve grown a second head.” Hailey clarified.</p><p>“Um…” Kim hesitated, looking up at Hailey’s awaiting look. “Come with me.” She whispered, leading the blonde towards the currently empty break room, and closing the door once they were both inside.</p><p>Kim leaned her back against the counter, looking at Hailey with sympathy in her eye. “You had a drink in Jay’s office after work last night.” She brought up.</p><p>“Yeah. Some… ‘you survived your first day, yay’ sort of tradition?” Now Kim looked at her like she’d grown a second head.</p><p>“Tradition?” Kim questioned. “Even Adam is lucky if Jay lets him touch that sacred stash of his.” Hailey felt her heart drop to her feet.</p><p>Her mouth opening and shutting a few times, as she attempted to gather her currently spinning thoughts. “So – people think…” Kim nodded her head, confirming the incomplete statement.</p><p>Hailey’s hand came up to her forehead, trying very hard not breakdown in the middle of the breakroom. “Oh my god…” She dropped.</p><p>“Okay, Hailey, Hailey, hey…” Kim dropped a hand to her shoulder.</p><p>“It’s just workplace chatter, alright? Happens all the time, and about far worse things than this, I assure you. Keep your head up, do your job, and it’ll go away the second they get bored.” The brunette told her.</p><p>Hailey took a deep breath, pushing back the tears pricking at her eyes, and trying to keep her composure. She nodded at her new friend, before they headed back to their desks.</p><p>A thought crossed Hailey’s mind. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to do this while things were fresh in her head. But she was already halfway into his office, so why stop now.</p><p>--</p><p>“Hailey?” Jay’s voice came, noticing her come flying in like a bat out of hell. She closed the door behind herself, knowing there were probably about a dozen pairs of eyes on her right about now, but she couldn’t care less.</p><p>“Tradition, huh?” Hailey spat. And by the look on Jay’s face, he got it right away.</p><p>“Hailey –” “Do you have any idea what you caused?” She cut him off, the hurt in her eyes cutting through him like a knife.</p><p>He stopped trying to talk and let her go on. “People think I got my job because I slept with you. How do you think that’s gonna affect the way people here look at me, and what they think of me?</p><p>If the guys around here think you slept with your assistant, you get high-fives and pats on the back.</p><p>The other women in this office working their asses of twice as hard to gain the same amount of respect their male counterparts get are gonna look at me like the whore who spread her legs for you to get ahead.” Hailey threw at him.</p><p>“Hailey –” Jay attempted one more time. “Don’t ever put me in a position like that again.” She threatened, then fled his office without another word. Leaving Jay behind with his head spinning. What was he thinking? <br/>----</p><p>That exchange pretty much paved the way for the rest of the week. But to her credit, Hailey was able to keep up her professionalism the whole way through.</p><p>Picking up Jay’s calls, bringing him documents and fresh coffee a few times throughout the day. But if he made even a single attempt to talk to her about anything unrelated to work, it was if he hadn’t even said it.</p><p>Even had to be sent a look from Kim a couple of times, telling him to back off.</p><p>—</p><p>After their closing meeting with Boeing, Adam came into his partner’s office, smiling a thousand-watt smile. “You did it, man! Got Anderson to back down and take the deal!” He celebrated.</p><p>Though the look on his best friend’s face was anything but celebratory. “What’s on, man? You just closed the deal of the decade and you’re lookin’ out the window like someone just died.” Adam questioned.</p><p>A sigh escaped Jay. “I really hurt Hailey, man.” He told his friend. Adam came around and sat down in the chair in front of the desk, a curious look on his face.</p><p>“I just… I couldn’t get her outta my head. From the second her picture loaded on my computer that day, then when I interviewed her, and the little exchanges we had here and there… Couldn’t help it.” Jay admitted.</p><p>Adam nodded, knowing from having talked to Kim how much this whole thing had affected Hailey. “She’s a strong girl, man. She’ll bounce back from this in no time.” He encouraged.</p><p>Jay’s managing partner looked at him questioningly. “CEO and assistant, we’re supposed to be partners in crime. Like you and Kim. I had that from the minute she walked in, and then I screwed it up first chance I had.” Jay expressed.</p><p>“Well,” Adam leaned back in his chair, “have you tried telling her that?” He asked. Jay looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.</p><p>“That I’ve been ogling her since she walked in here that first day, and tried way too hard way too fast, resulting in hurting her? No, hadn’t thought of it.” Jay returned sarcastically.</p><p>Adam rolled his eyes at his friend. “Bro, you and I both know that overqualified as she is, her file had some serious question marks in it. Now by the sounds of it from what I heard from Kim, somethin’ real bad happened at her last firm that left Hailey with some serious scars.</p><p>You want to mend things between the two of you? Get your eyes up off her ass, try bein’ a friend and someone she can trust.” Adam advised.</p><p>Jay knew his friend was right. He just hoped he would be able to mend things with his assistant.</p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Stepping out of his office, Jay caught Hailey just as she was about to put her jacket on and head out. The last one to leave, as usual.</p><p>“Heading out?” He asked her, as if it weren’t obvious.</p><p>Hailey nodded, pulling her long blonde curls from the confines of her hood. “Just emailed you next week’s schedule, permission forms for meetings have been sent to all the new potential clients, put in my timesheets. Now I need to sleep.” She told him, probably the most she’d said to him in one breath all week.</p><p>“Can I buy you a drink? Try to make up for what I did?” Jay attempted. Hailey turned around, looking at him with a raised brow.</p><p>“How do you suppose being seen in public with my boss is going to help what people already think of me?” She asked him.</p><p>A sigh escaped him. “You know, Hailey, you could always just not care what everyone thinks about you, and be more concerned about what you think of yourself.” He treaded.</p><p>“Get that off a fortune cookie?” Hailey shot back. Jay got the cue. He moved back towards his office, leaving her alone.</p><p>“Where do you wanna go?” Her voice asked, making him turn back around to look at her. “I could use a stiff drink right about now.” She told him honestly.</p><p>Jay managed half a smile, leaving his office door open while he grabbed his jacket, and led her out of the bullpen for the night.</p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Seated up at the bar at Cork &amp; Kerry with their drinks at hand, Hailey looked around the place. “I must say, I’m surprised this is your hole of choice, considering what your office is stocked with.” She brought up.</p><p>“Just cuz ya have it, doesn’t mean you gotta flaunt it.” Jay told her simply. Fair enough.</p><p>Hailey took another sip of her drink and looked up at him. “So. Why am I here, Jay?” She asked him.</p><p>“I handled things way wrong. And I can admit to that.” Jay expressed.</p><p>“I did not ask you into my office that night with the intent of messing up your reputation or filling people’s heads with all sorts of theories.” He cleared.</p><p>Hailey took a breath, looking up from her drink. “You didn’t even say you’re sorry, Jay.” She reminded him.</p><p>“I went on a rant in your office, and didn’t let you get a word in edgewise, fine. But when you came to my desk and offered to buy a drink to ‘make up for what you did’… was it so hard to just say you’re sorry?” Hailey questioned.</p><p>No, it wasn’t. Jay bit his lip and nodded. “I am sorry, Hailey. Hurting you is not something I ever wanted nor intended to do.” Jay told her honestly.</p><p>“But I gotta ask.” Her head snapped up at that. “Is it just me you’re mad at? Or were you somehow triggered to what happened at your old firm?” Jay dared to ask.</p><p>That same darkness filled her eyes again that he’d seen a few times already this week. “I told you, Jay, I signed an NDA.” Hailey reminded him.</p><p>“Hailey. I’m the CEO of a major consulting firm. I’m well aware of how an NDA works. Including the fact that an NDA covers the court proceedings and the events of the investigation. Not the victim’s own emotions or feelings towards the situation.”</p><p>Hailey took a deep breath, crossing her arms on the bar top. “I was nineteen when I got hired at my old firm.” She started off, getting Jay’s rapt attention.</p><p>“Fresh out of college, just graduated, high on life, ready to be a big girl in the real world… And to be hired as an admin at one of the biggest law firms in the country a month out of college… I took it on the spot.” Hailey recalled.</p><p>She gulped, worrying Jay. “Boss was kind of a creep. But the job paid well, my shift ended hours before everyone else, and in an office of over 300 people, what was the worst that could go wrong? She told herself stupidly.” Hailey cursed herself.</p><p>“New Years’ Eve office party, I was hanging out with some girlfriends when I realized I’d left my phone at my desk. So, I ran upstairs to get it, and I didn’t see him follow me up.” She fought to keep her composure as she went on.</p><p>Jay increasingly regretting pushing her to tell this story. “He was three times my size and didn’t need to do much to overpower me. And with the music blaring downstairs at the party, nobody was gonna hear a thing. So, he got what he came for.” Her voice cracked.</p><p>“Just went on and on until he ran dry, and my body was numb.” A tear ran down her cheek, which Hailey was fast to wipe away.</p><p>“One of my friends came over to check on me when I never got back to the party. Told her what happened, and she drove me to the ED. And in some ways, I think those exams were worse than the attack itself.” Her voice shook.</p><p>Jay risked crossing a line, dropping his hand to hers. Taken completely aback when Hailey grabbed onto it.</p><p>“So, there was an investigation into him and the firm. And they found at least a dozen other girls he’d done the same thing to. My former boss was arrested, still rotting in jail as we speak.</p><p>And the guy who temporarily took over the firm pulled the typical TV drama move, offered to pay me to keep my mouth shut.</p><p>Every instinct in me yelling at myself not to do it. But who knew how long it would take to get hired somewhere else without a recommendation from my last gig, and that many question marks in my dossier.</p><p>So, I took the money. Signed the NDA, and kept my mouth shut. Then I got lucky, and I was hired at the third opening I interviewed for. And I landed my dream job at HEH.” Hailey concluded.</p><p>Jay wanted so badly to smile at that, but it couldn’t form on his lips, thinking about all that Hailey had been through, and thinking about just how much she has to keep pressed down.</p><p>“I don’t have to tell you that if any of this ever got out –” Jay shook his head, confirming her statement. “Your secret’s safe, Hailey.” He assured her.</p><p>She nodded, wiping away a few more tears. “So’s this our thing now?” Jay raised a brow at that.</p><p>“One of us gets mad at the other, the other buys the first round?” He laughed at that, finally getting Hailey to smile.</p><p>The blonde simply looked back at him, clinking her glass with his. “Worse things to have, and with worse people.” Hailey said to him, throwing back the rest of her drink.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Paranoid?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Jay came into work every morning, he’d never been anything but prim, proper, put together, and ready to get to work.</p><p>This morning, however, he came in looking a little out of it, slightly on edge, and of course not that anyone would challenge their boss like that, but anyone who was seated at their desk could tell Jay was coming in almost a half an hour later than the 7:30am arrival he’d kept up since the day the firm was first built.</p><p>Jay finally reached his office, closing the door behind himself and walking in on Hailey, seated in his chair, her peep-toe heel-clad feet up on his desk, while she read the morning paper. Who read the paper anymore? Obviously, just one more tactic to poke fun at his untimeliness this morning.</p><p>“D’you see this?” Hailey looked down at the headline of one of the story’s she was currently engrossed in.</p><p>“Couple guys came home late from a party in Hyde Park last night, both reportedly saw a blinding white light come down from the sky, and next thing they know, BAM! Wake up on the side of Interstate 90 with no memory of how they got there.” She summarized.</p><p>Then looked up at Jay grinning. “They’re heeere.” He actually managed to laugh a little, possibly for the first time this morning.</p><p>“Better known,” he knocked her feet off his desk, making Hailey’s grin expand, as she crossed one leg over the other and looked up at him, “as a hangover.” Jay told her.</p><p>He scoffed at the story. “God, the things people’ll do to get some media attention these days.” The CEO shook his head, stepping over to the coffee machine on the other side of his office.</p><p>“Ew, I can’t believe you drink that crap. Leave it, I’ll get you a latte in a minute.” Hailey called in his direction, making Jay turn back around to face her, fighting an amused grin, while she folded down the creases in her red dress from her earlier position in his chair.</p><p>The two had grown a lot closer in the three months since that night at Cork &amp; Kerry. Some might even say inseparable, Yin and Yang, joint at the hip.</p><p>Jay had provided Hailey with a refreshingly non-toxic work environment where she held a job she grew more and more in love with every day, and in return, she got the stuffy businessman to loosen up, see life outside the four walls of his consulting firm baby, and manage to laugh at some of her jokes.</p><p>“Are you okay, Jay? You seem a little frazzled this morning, and thirty minutes late into work is not your style.” Hailey worried, standing up from her desk, and flattening down her pantsuit, before crossing her arms over her chest.</p><p>He released a sigh, coming back around and dropping down into his chair. Hailey leaned against the corner of his desk, looking at him expectantly.</p><p>“Yeah, just… My pain in the ass brother is in town, and whenever he is, he likes to turn things in my life upside down like a tornado come out of left field.” Jay explained to her.</p><p>Hailey got a sudden vibe from his tone, her brows creasing. “You don’t get along?” She wondered.</p><p>“No, we’re fine. It’s just…” Another sigh escaped him. “Will is just really… eccentric. I’m more focused on running my firm, and putting dinner on the table every night… While Will is off seeing how many notches his bedpost’ll hold.</p><p>He usually comes flyin’ into town when he’s short on cash and needs a place to crash until ‘his luck changes’ in his own words, which is why he’s currently in town, and why I’m here late. Cause I was dealing with that whole mess this morning. I had to slip my doorman a c-note on the way out, to make sure Will didn’t throw a party and trash my place while I’m at work.” Jay explained exasperatedly.</p><p>“I’ll be sure to make that coffee a double-shot.” Hailey flashed him a smile, slipping off his desk. “Where would I be without you?” Jay returned.</p><p>Hailey smiled at that on her way towards the door of his office. “Need anything else before I do?” She asked him.</p><p>“No, that’s great. Thanks, Hailey.” Jay smiled at her gratefully. “You know where to find me if you do.” She joked, finally seeing him start to loosen up for the first time since he’d come in this morning.<br/>--</p><p>After making and bringing Jay the coffee she’d promised him, Hailey settled back down at her desk. She closed the extra windows floating around her computer screen now that she’d emailed Jay his schedule for the day.</p><p>As Jay’s assistant got into printing out the minutes for Jay’s 10am meeting, her desk phone rang. “This is Jay Halstead’s office.” Hailey answered.</p><p>“Is this Ms. Hailey Upton?” The voice on the other line asked her. “Yes, it is. Can I ask who’s calling?” she replied, getting a questioning look from Kim, then sending her one back telling her she was just as unsure.</p><p>“Ms. Upton, I’m calling on behalf of the Cook County Correctional Facility. I’m told you requested to be kept apprised of all updates pertaining to inmate Clay Bowler.” Hailey felt her stomach drop about a hundred stories and slam down to her feet.</p><p>She was incoherent for a second, but desperate not to show it in a full office bullpen. “Y – Yeah, yes, I did.” Hailey confirmed to the man on the phone.</p><p>“I’m calling to notify you that Mr. Bowler has been released early.” Instant fear took her over, desperate not to start crying right then and there.</p><p>Hailey took the mother of all deep breaths and fought hard to keep her composure. “H – How?” She questioned. “Prison’s overcrowded, and he was model inmate #1, so he was among the first few to be released early.” The man explained to her.</p><p>This couldn’t be happening. The panic was beginning to settle into the pit of her stomach. Hailey felt her palms beginning to dampen, her heart racing.</p><p>“Still there, Ms. Upton?” She snapped out of it. “Y – Yeah. Um, thank you. For letting me know.” She gulped, her voice getting more unstable with every syllable that left her mouth, then hung up the phone.</p><p>Hailey leaned back in her chair, taking a minute to try and catch her breath. “Hailey.” Kim’s voice, making the blonde’s eyes snap in her direction.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Kim asked her. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Hailey mustered up a half-decent fake smile.</p><p>“I’m just gonna – I’ll be back in just a minute.” She told her friend, getting up from her desk and heading towards the bathroom.</p><p>A tall man with glasses approached her with a smile, a folder at hand. “Not now, Arthur.” Hailey all but plead, leaving the guy fully stunned, looking at Kim with no idea what to do.</p><p>“I, uh… I had those forms… Mr. Halstead requested.” Arthur told him. “Oh. That’s okay, Arthur. I’ll get them to him, thanks.” Kim flashed him a smile, taking the folder from the young tech.</p><p>Kim got up from her own seat, heading in the direction of Jay’s office. She knocked on the glass door, waiting for Jay to signal for her to come in.</p><p>--</p><p>“Got the agreement forms for the 501 deal.” Kim told Jay, stepping over to his desk, and handing him the manila folder.</p><p>Jay looked up with a quirked brow. “Not that you aren’t beautiful, and I don’t appreciate your presence, but where’s my assistant?” He asked Kim.</p><p>A sigh escaped the brunette. “Something’s going on with Hailey, and I’m not sure what it is.” Kim told him truthfully.</p><p>“What makes you say that?” Jay’s brow furrowed. “Well, Hailey was her usual bubbly self coming out of your office not 20 minutes ago. Then she sat down at her desk and took a phone call.</p><p>Few seconds into the call, her face dropped, her body tensed up, and her speech got shaky. When she hung up the phone, Hailey looked like she was about to throw up.</p><p>I asked her if she was okay, but she brushed it off, said she just needed a minute, and then walked off. Arthur was on his way to bring her those files for you, but she just told him 'not now’ and rushed off to the bathroom.” Kim explained to Jay.</p><p>“You know Hailey. She balks in the face of men three times her size who come in here talking to her like a doorman, she annihilates a to-do list longer than her arm before lunch arrives at noon, and I’ve seen guys from upstairs approach her shaking.</p><p>But whatever this is, it really messed her up, Jay.” Kim warned the CEO. He took a beat and a breath, trying to wrack his mind around this, and figure out how to tackle the situation.</p><p>“Alright. Thanks, Kim.” Jay smiled at the brunette, dismissing her. Kim nodded back, before leaving his office and going back to her desk.</p><p>Once Hailey eventually returned from her short trip away from her desk, and settled back into it, Jay kept a close eye on her.</p><p>He didn’t call her out on anything or make a big deal of it, but anyone could tell Hailey wasn’t as sharp today as she usually was.</p><p>Fumbling on her words, losing her train of thought, getting easily distracted, staring off into space…</p><p>“Hails, you wanna take the rest of the day off?” Jay eventually asked her, while she sat in the chair across from his desk. </p><p>They were supposed to be going over plans for a demonstration Friday morning, but Hailey kept losing track of what she was talking about.</p><p>Her head immediately snapped up at that and looked him dead in the eye. “Why would I wanna do that?” She came back, her tone maybe a tad harsher than she meant it, taking Jay aback.</p><p>“Hailey, what is going on with you?” Of course, he already knew, but he wasn’t gonna let her find out that he knew.</p><p>But that only set off the blonde that much more. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Hailey fired back.</p><p>“You think I don’t notice how off you are today? Your head in space, losing track of thought, having to refer to your notes every five seconds, and making mistakes that you don’t make.” Jay argued.</p><p>He was winning the argument, but he sure as hell wasn’t winning himself any favours with Hailey, only managing to dig himself a deeper hole.</p><p>“You need to go home, and clear your head, Hails, and I’m telling you that not as your boss, but as your friend,” Jay told her. “Clear my head of what? I’m fine, Jay!” She insisted, losing her resolve fast.</p><p>“Hailey, listen to yourself!” Jay stopped her. “Your desk is in the middle of a full bullpen, you think word didn’t get back to me that you took a phone call that rattled your cage, and sent you into a tailspin the rest of the day?” Oh. That.</p><p>“So that’s what this is about!? That was a personal phone call, that had absolutely nothing to do with you, HEH, or my job in any capacity.” Hailey shot. “But it’s affecting your job, Hailey.” Jay cut her off again.</p><p>Hailey was running out of arguments fast. She wanted so badly to bite back, say something clever, have the last word, and get the advantage, but she was smart enough to realize she was gonna lose this one.</p><p>“Go home, Hailey. Get some rest, and come back tomorrow refreshed.” Jay instructed one more time. Hailey stayed quiet.<br/>Jay watched the defeated look cross her face, as Hailey rose from her seat, and left his office to pack up her things for the day, without another word.</p><p>Great. Jay thought to himself. Started off the day with one splitting headache courtesy of his brother, now a second one growing thanks to this whole mess created by a phone call whose context he was still unaware of.</p><p>--</p><p>“Hailey.” Kim’s voice came, as the blonde threw her bag over her shoulder, and grabbed her keys from her desk drawer. “I –” “Do me a favour.” Hailey cut her off, looking Kim dead in the eye.</p><p>“Stay out of my business, and report to your own damn boss next time you wanna go tattle to someone about my unstable emotions,” Hailey warned, before making her way out of the bullpen, leaving Kim behind standing frozen in place.</p><p>--</p><p>Making a beeline out of the building towards her car, Hailey unlocked the car from the beeper on her keys. She first opened the passenger side door, dumping her stuff in the seat. Then came around to the driver’s side.</p><p>As she opened the door, Hailey couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. Like a built-in radar, she looked up ahead, seeing a man suspiciously leaning against his truck. When Hailey spotted him, he got back into his car, and drove off in the other direction.</p><p>Shaking it off, Hailey told herself she was overly exhausted and seeing things, and she just needed to get home and try to forget all about today. Fat chance of that, she thought to herself.</p><p>The man who swore to put an end to her life was being released from prison. And if she knew him as well as she once did, he’d just see her restraining order as a challenge.</p><p>Attempting to shake it off, Hailey got in her car and drove away from the building, heading towards her favourite sushi shop on division on her way home.</p><p>--</p><p>Early dinner at hand, Hailey stepped out of the sushi shop and back out to her car. Turning the keys in the ignition and checking her mirrors, as a short gasp escaped her, as she caught sight of that same truck part just a few feet away, the same guy sat in the driver’s seat.</p><p>Her trembling hand came up over her mouth, her body frozen for a minute, not sure what to do. Fight or flight kicked in. Hailey pulled out of her parking spot, speeding home as fast as the speed limit would allow.</p><p>Grateful for the first time since moving into her apartment that her building was tucked into a loop de loop of streets, cul-de-sacs, and other buildings, Hailey used the complex geography of the apartment to her advantage, driving in a couple random different circles to drop her tail.</p><p>Eventually feeling secure enough to make a quick dash, Hailey parked her car in the underground unit of her complex, and then ran up to her unit.</p><p>--</p><p>Reaching her apartment, fumbling with her keys to get in, and finally reaching the security of her home, Hailey dropped her back against the door, and released the mother of all deep breaths.</p><p>Hailey nearly jumped out of her skin when a knock came at the door, her hand covering her mouth to keep the gasp that fell from between her lips from being heard.</p><p>Turning herself around, and looking through the peephole, she sighed relieved at the sight of her doorman on the other side.</p><p>“Hiya, Ms. Upton.” The man greeted with a bright smile. “Hey, Joey.” Hailey smiled back at him.</p><p>“A delivery came for ya while you were at work.” Joey told her, handing the blonde a square package wrapped in red paper.</p><p>Hailey’s brow creased. She wasn’t expecting any Amazon deliveries or anything, and she hadn’t had something mailed home from work in a while either.</p><p>“Thank you.” She flashed her doorman one last smile. “You have a good rest of day, Ms. Upton.” Joey bid brightly, making her smile even just a little bit for the first time since she’d gotten that call this morning.</p><p>Hailey had lucked out when she moved into this complex. It was fairly well known that if you got a place with a more affordable price tag on it, there would usually be a reason for it, and often times that was either or both a sucky doorman and/or super.</p><p>But in her case, Hailey had lucked out with having Joey for a doorman. Always smiled at her on her way in and out of the building, never kept her waiting when something in her apartment needed a repair, and everyone in the building knew the story about the time he’d saved Mrs. Westchester’s dog from a speeding car when he got off his leash.</p><p>Guess that was the luck of the draw when your doorman was six times a grandfather.</p><p>Hailey closed the door, and left her jacket by the door. Then took the package to her kitchen and laid it down on the countertop, grabbing an exacto from her junk drawer.</p><p>Popping open the top of the box, she found a single rose sitting inside. It struck her weird right off the bat.</p><p>Hailey had been single for going on three years now, and she and her ex had had no contact beyond occasionally liking each other’s posts on Instagram or Facebook. So, it most likely wasn’t from him.</p><p>Her birthday wasn’t coming up, Christmas was long-since passed, and the only time she’d received flowers recently, was when Jay had super sweetly gotten her bouquet of daisies for her desk after she’d survived a month of being assistant to one of the top CEOs in the US.<br/>Plucking the flower from the confines of the box, Hailey noticed the slip of white paper stapled to and wrapped tightly around the step.</p><p>Unraveling it, her eye caught sight of the writing on the inside of the paper. Red is most certainly your colour. You put this old rose to shame.</p><p>Hailey instantly felt her stomach churn, her head throbbing and panic set in. Like a flicked switch, she reacted instantly, shutting all the drapes and window-coverings in her apartment, falling to the couch up against the blank wall, and sitting in a tight ball.</p><p>Her trembling hand came up to her mouth, as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her other one reached into her pocket, her shaky thumb barely managing to grab onto her phone, unlock it, and hit speed dial one.</p><p>She pressed the device against her ear, waiting as it rang. The click on the other line was heard first, followed by a voice.</p><p>“Hello.” The voice greeted. “Jay…”</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hello?” The voice greeted. “Jay…”</p><p>“Hailey? What’s wrong? are you okay?” His voice laced with concern. The last time they spoke Hailey was firing shots at him and pissed as hell. Now she sounded like a terrified little girl.</p><p>Words were hard to manage for just a few seconds. Hailey tried to form them, but they wouldn’t come up her throat.</p><p>“I – I’m… I’m scared, Jay.” Her voice cracked. “Hailey, where are you right now?” Jay asked her. “I’m at home.” She answered him.</p><p>Though she’d never admit it out loud, Hailey felt a certain comfort hearing Jay’s voice. “Okay, Hails. I’m gonna be there in 20 minutes, okay? Hold tight.” He told her.</p><p>“No!” Hailey stopped him, making his end of the line go silent. “Don’t leave me, please.” She cried, not a care in the world for how desperate, weak, and scared she sounded.</p><p>“Alright, okay, Hails. I’m putting on my coat right now, my driver’s gonna be here any minute, and then I’m comin’ straight to you.” Jay assured her.</p><p>He heard a few sniffles coming from Hailey’s end of the call, tugging at his heart strings. “… I’m so sorry, Jay.” Hailey said to him.</p><p>“Hailey…” “I had no right to talk to you like that this morning…” Another sniff. “I’m so sorry.” She repeated.</p><p>Jay’s heart broke, hearing her sounding so afraid. “Hails… we’re both Type A’s. We’re bound to lock heads sometimes, even if it’s just over caring for the other.</p><p>I don’t regret sending you home, but I’m sorry I got mad at you too. We’ll talk about this face to face, Hails. I’m getting into the car now.” Jay told her, as the driver opened the backseat door and he got inside.</p><p>Another couple of sniffles escaped the blonde. “Will you bring up some of those mint chocolates with you that you keep in the limo on the way to meetings?” Jay actually managed to laugh at that.</p><p>“You got it, Hails.”  Hailey swiped her thumb under her eyes, as if that would slow down the tears, but it only made them run more furiously.</p><p>She sat there reminding herself that Jay was on his way, that he’d be here soon, that he was still there with her on the phone, and she wasn’t alone.</p><p>“You wanna tell me what’s goin’ on, Hailey?” Jay tried. “… Not until you get here.” She answered him.</p><p>“I’m comin’, Hails.” </p><p>Out of the corner of her eye, Hailey caught sight of Jay’s driver coming down the street her apartment complex was on, and parking outside the building.</p><p>She watched as Jay stepped out of the car, and made his way inside with his security detail behind him. “Hailey?” He checked with her again.</p><p>“Still here.” Her throat was getting a little dry from crying. When she could trust her legs to carry herself again, she would have to go and get some water, fix that right up.</p><p>“I’m on my way up to you.” Jay told her. “Still have the emergency key I gave you?” Hailey checked with him. “I do.” He confirmed to her.</p><p>“Good. I don’t think I can stand up and walk far enough right now to go answer it.” The fear in her voice scared him. She sounded haunted, like she’d seen a ghost.</p><p>Hailey’s head immediately snapped towards the door, as she heard the sound of a key turning in the door. Then it swung open, revealing Jay on the other side and Max, his security detail behind him.</p><p>Jay’s eyes immediately landed on Hailey as he looked up ahead, finding her on the couch with her heels kicked off, her legs curled under her, still dawning that same red dress she’d had on all day.</p><p>But the most noticeable differences between the last time he’d seen her and now, were the red rings around her eyes. The puffiness under her stunning orbs, and her complexion pale as a sheet, while her cheeks were simultaneously a little rosy from crying.</p><p>Max closed and locked the door behind them, doing a sweep of Hailey’s apartment, while Jay went over to her, and sat down beside her on the couch.</p><p>“Hey…” He dropped, embracing his partner in crime. Three months working together may as well have been three decades. At least, that’s what everyone at the office said about the duo.</p><p>A little over three months since Hailey first took the job as Jay’s assistant, and it was like they were a married couple, together for ages, knowing every little significant and insignificant thing about one another, having developed a silent communication system using just their eyes, and having developed a bond nobody quite had the words to describe.</p><p>Hailey’s arms clung to his neck like two magnets, afraid to let go.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Jay asked her sincerely. Not just the platitude anyone would ask her while she was in this current state of clear shock and panic, but genuinely worried for her wellbeing having heard the sound of her voice on the phone.</p><p>Hailey gulped down the thick ball that had been sitting in her throat while she waited for Jay to arrive. “Better now that I’m not alone anymore.” She answered him honestly.</p><p>“What’s goin’ on, Hails?” Jay questioned, watching as Hailey reached for the rose she’d deposited on the stand to the left of the couch.</p><p>She unraveled the slip from the stem again, extending it long enough for Jay to be able to read the handwritten note on the inside of it.</p><p>Hailey watched as Jay looked over the message, seeing his eyes darken more and more with every letter he read, an emotion crossing his features she couldn’t quite read.</p><p>Finally, Jay lifted his head back up to look at her. She could tell from the way his eyes fell on hers that it wasn’t her he was upset with. But Jay seemed genuinely disturbed, something Hailey didn’t see cross his features too often, save for the occasional times someone was really trying to screw him over in a deal or something.</p><p>“When did this start?” Jay asked her. Hailey bit her lip, taking a deep breath, and trying to calm herself down. “Just a few minutes after I stepped out of your office this morning, I got a call from someone who works at Cook County.</p><p>They’re releasing Clay early.” Her voice broke, tears pricking at her eyes again. Jay felt his heart slam down to his feet. “Apparently, he’s a model inmate, and they’ve got an overcrowding issue, so they’re re… they’re letting him go.” Hailey pushed out.</p><p>Jay’s hand found hers, wrapping digits around her sizeably smaller ones. “He leave you this?” Jay asked Hailey. To which she hunched her shoulders.</p><p>“I don’t know, Jay. I – I feel like I’m losing my mind.” She wept, thinking back on everything that had happened today from the moment she left his office.</p><p>“I – Coming out of the office, I felt like someone was watching me. There was this car parked a few feet away, guy just standing there, and when he saw me look his way, he immediately got in his car and drove away.</p><p>Then I went to get sushi from Juno over on Lincoln. As I came out of the restaurant, and got back into my car, the same guy was parked, sitting in the driver’s seat, just starting at me. He followed me home, Jay. I had to go in six different loops just to drop his tail.</p><p>I ran up here as fast as I could, and then my doorman brought me this.” Hailey stopped her ranting, gesturing to the flower in Jay’s other hand.</p><p>“Wh – What’s wrong with me, Jay?” She cried, begging him. “Hey, Hailey…” Jay deposited the flower, both of his hands wrapped around her arms, looking directly into her eyes.</p><p>“Nothing is wrong with you, you understand me?” Jay told her straight. “You’ve been through a trauma, saw your life flash before your eyes, and you survived it.</p><p>You thought you were being watched, and this confirms that you were. So, you’re not seeing things, and you’re not crazy.” He assured her, then looked up at Max.</p><p>“I want a second detail on her 24/7.” Jay told his guard. “A detail? Hang on, Jay –” “Hailey.” He stopped her.</p><p>“Somebody is after you. Despite possible theories, we don’t know who, and we don’t know why. I have the resources to keep you safe until we do. And I would never forgive myself if I had the means to keep you safe, and anything happened to you because I didn’t put them to good use.</p><p>I care about you, Hailey. So, let me keep you safe.” Jay all but begged her.</p><p>“You don’t know what he’s capable of, Jay.” Hailey told him. “If anything ever happened to me? If anything ever happened to you because he wanted to get to me, I would never forgive myself.” Hailey fought back.</p><p>Jay nodded his head, taking a minute to think. “So, come stay with me.” Hailey’s eyes immediately snapped back up, looking at him like he’d grown a second head.</p><p>“Have you gone mad?” She questioned. “No, have you? It’s a secure building, with bulletproof glass, a state-of-the-art home security system, and a 24/7 security detail.</p><p>With all the late nights you’ve spent there helping me with this that and the other thing, you already spend more time there than your own place, so you’re familiar with it, doorman knows you, some of the neighbours know you, and this way I can be sure that you’re safe while this gets figured out.” Jay argued, gesturing to the rose in his hand.</p><p>She was hesitant, he could tell that much by the look in her eye. But Hailey was smart. Probably the most intelligent person Jay had ever met, she knew he was right.</p><p>“Or say the word, Hailey, I’ll butt out and leave you alone.” That scared her even more. Terrified her if she was honest.</p><p>Finally, Hailey caved and nodded at him. “Go pack up what you need, we can come back if you need anything else later on.” Jay told her.</p><p>“Okay.” Hailey flashed half a smile, before crossing her apartment over to her bedroom. Jay then looked up in his detail’s direction.</p><p>“I want your top guy on her ASAP. Someone so much as looks at her the wrong way, they regret it.” Max nodded, reaching for his phone. “Right away, sir.” He answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, here we are.” Jay unlocked the door to his penthouse, letting Hailey in first.</p><p>As they stepped inside, they took in the third presence seated up at the kitchen island. “Will.” Jay called, as his brother looked in their direction.</p><p>“Hailey. This is my older brother, Will.” He introduced, gesturing a hand towards the redhead’s direction. “Will, this is Hailey, my assistant.” Jay then said to his brother.</p><p>Will came down off the stool and over to them. “So, this is the girl you can’t shut up about…” He grinned ear to ear, making Jay freeze in place and Hailey blush about a dozen shades darker than her skin tone.</p><p>“Uh… Hailey’s gonna be staying around for a bit, while we get some stuff figured out.” Jay told Will. “Hailey, you can go ahead and set yourself up in the guest room upstairs.” He then said to blonde.</p><p>She nodded her head and smiled politely, grabbing the back she’d packed from her apartment and made her way up to the designated room.</p><p>“Everything okay?” Will asked his younger brother, noting Jay’s rather odd expression and body language. </p><p>A sigh escaped the CEO, as he let everything that had happened in the last couple of hours sink in. “Someone’s after Hailey.” Jay told him, making Will’s eyes widen.</p><p>“My god…” He dropped. “She has some ideas who it could be, but no definitive proof yet. I’m gonna call my buddy Kevin over at the 21st district, see if he can come by and help us out here.”</p><p>The name struck Will familiar. “Kevin… He that real cool cop that helped out when your firm was broken into last spring?” Jay nodded, confirming his brother’s theory.</p><p>“The one and the same. He went over and above to help us step up the security at the tower, and told me if I ever needed anything to just give him a call. I can’t think of a better time to cash in the offer when someone I care about is in danger.” Jay told him.</p><p>Will smiled at his little brother, seeing him light up in ways he never did when he talked about anybody else, even with the given circumstances.</p><p>“What?” Jay’s brow furrowed as the grin on Will’s features. “You really care about this girl, don’t you?” The redhead asked him.</p><p>Jay looked around, making sure Hailey was still upstairs in the guestroom and wasn’t within earshot. “It’s not like that, man. I have never met someone and three months later been as close to them as I am with Hailey.</p><p>She can read my mind with a silent look across the table, she knows what I want before I say it… I actually enjoy having an assistant now, because I don’t have to teach her how to do her job, or send her back to fix something a dozen times before she gets it right.</p><p>It’s like having an assistant, a partner in crime, and a best friend all in one. I will never again have what I have with her.” Jay admitted to his big brother.</p><p>“As long as having her in your life is making you happy, I don’t care what label or title you use, man. I’m happy for you.” Will expressed.</p><p>About to respond, Jay’s train of thought was cut off, as Hailey came back down the stairs, now changed into leggings and a white knit sweater, looking less than happy. “Hails, you okay?” Jay checked with her.</p><p>She nodded her head, curling a leg under herself and sitting down on the living room couch. “Just not feeling too well.” Hailey admitted, her hand over her stomach.</p><p>“If ya trust me to do it, I can whip up a nasty-looking, not-bad-tasting drink that’s gonna have your stomach back into shape before you can blink.” Will offered from where he stood at the kitchen island.</p><p>Hailey’s eyes briefly turned to Jay’s, looking for reassurance. Jay chuckled softly at that. “He’s a doctor, Hails. Knows what he’s doin’.” Her boss assured her.</p><p>To that, Hailey nodded her head. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Will. That’s really sweet of you.” She said to him, laying her head back against the couch.</p><p>“Comin’ right up.” Will sent her a wink, before turning into the kitchen, and grabbing a few things out of the fridge to make her the drink in question.</p><p>Jay, meanwhile, came around to plop down beside her on the couch. “How you doin’?” He asked her. Hailey shook her head, fighting another wave of tears.</p><p>“I can’t believe this is happening.” She told him honestly. “I thought this was over. I thought – I thought he was locked up. I thought I was safe, and free to live my life without a worry. This was supposed to be my fresh start.</p><p>And now he’s out there. He knows where I live, he knows where I work, and he’s proven that he can find me at a moment’s notice. He wants me to know that I’m not safe from him no matter where I try to hide.” Hailey rambled.</p><p>“Hails.” Jay spoke softly. “You are in a safe, secure, building. Thirty floors up from the lobby, where nobody gets in without a key card and crossing the security guard downstairs, and a detail with you 24/7. Nobody’s gonna reach you in here.” He assured her.</p><p>Hailey lifted her eyes and turned her head to look at him. “And what? I just stay in here the rest of my life? I have a job I have to get to every day, an apartment I’m paying for every month that I am now terrified of going back to… This is madness, Jay.” She cried, getting worked up again.</p><p>   “Hailey.” Jay stopped her again, dropping his hand to her arm. “You’ve been through a lot today. Right now, is not the time to start making heavyweight decisions and asking yourself ten million questions.</p><p>I texted a cop buddy of mine, I’m gonna have him come over here and talk everything out with you, and figure out what’s gonna happen next.</p><p>But no matter what, I want you to know that you’re safe here.” Jay insisted. Will approached them, a glass of green-coloured liquid at hand.</p><p>“Here ya go, Hailey.” The blonde accepted the drink, looking at it funny. Both brothers laughed at her scrunched-up nose. “Doesn’t taste half as bad as it looks.” Jay assured her.</p><p>Hailey took a beat, before throwing back the drink, taking it down in one shot, hoping he was right. Licking her bottom lip to keep it from dripping, she waiting for her taste buds to take on the savor of it. Pleasantly surprised when her tongue was met with the taste of green apple.</p><p>To her surprise, Hailey almost instantly felt her stomach begin to settle. “The hell’d you put in this?” She laughed softly, her hand over her stomach, as the tension began to lessen.</p><p>“Never fails.” Will told her, heading back to the kitchen to clean up the mess he’d created in making Hailey his famous concoction.</p><p>Hailey looked back up at Jay. “Don’t you have a company to be running?” Jay smiled at that. “Pros of being your own boss… I can do my job remotely from wherever I want. And right now, where I wanna be is here with you.”</p><p>She felt her stomach flutter at that. If Hailey was honest with herself, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be right now than in the security of his penthouse, and the familiar serenity of his presence.</p><p>“I’m gonna head out and meet some friends in the village.” Will told his brother, giving the two of them some time and space with him gone.</p><p>Jay nodded in his direction, as the doc grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, leaving his brother and Hailey alone.</p><p> </p><p>to be continued...</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter VI</h2></a>
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    <p>“That’s about all I need from you right now.” The detective told Hailey, as she and Jay escorted him to the door after their brief sit-down.</p><p>“Stay by your phones in case I need anything else. But besides that, I suggest you go back to as normal a day to day routine as you can and try to distract yourself. We got this.” He told Hailey.</p><p>Hailey extended a hand to the detective. “Thank you, Detective Atwater.” She said to him. “Please, just call me Kev.” He smiled back at the blonde.</p><p>“I owe Jay my life from way back in the day. Paid back some of that debt when his firm was broken into last year, but I got his back no matter what, and that extends to you too now. So, either of you need anything, and I do mean anything; you gimme a call. Day or night.” Kevin told her, getting a short, meek nod back from Hailey.</p><p>“Thanks for everything, man.” Jay said to his buddy with a handshake of his own. “Y’all take care now, alright?” The detective told them, as he left the penthouse and left the two on their own.</p><p>Jay closed and locked the door behind him, then turn back around to find Hailey already seated back down on the couch with her legs drawn up to her chest, hands lost in the oversized sleeves of the sweater she had on, the blonde clearly lost in very deep thought.</p><p>“Can I get you anything, Hails?” Jay asked her, making Hailey snap out of it and look up at him. “Oh. Uh. No. No, thank you.” She flashed him half a convincing smile.</p><p>Jay came around and sat in front of her. “You sure? I could make some quick late dinner, or pour a couple drinks…” He offered.</p><p>“I said I’m fine, Jay.” Hailey told him a little more forcefully this time, immediately realizing what she must sound like from the look on his face.</p><p>Her hands came up to her face, as a sigh escaped her. “God, I’m sorry, Jay…” Hailey’s voice cracked, the ball in her throat growing thick.</p><p>Jay took her hands off her head and held them in his, smiling comfortingly into her stormy eyes. “Take all the jabs at me that you want, Hailey Upton. I’m here, and I’ve got your back, no matter what. If it’s a punching bag you need, take your hits, I’m not goin’ anywhere.” Jay assured her.</p><p>“God, I was such a bitch back at work this morning…” She criticized herself, the scene back in Jay’s office playing over again at the back of her head.</p><p>But Jay shook his head at her. “No, Hailey. You’ve been through something terrible. And now you’re having it retriggered by the failure of the American justice system. You have every right to be emotional, and worked up, and not quite in control of your feelings right now.</p><p>So, lean on me. That’s why I’m here.” Hailey sniffled back a few tears, before dropping her head to Jay’s shoulder, their hands still wrapped in one another’s.</p><p>“Best best friend in the world.” Hailey dropped, making a soft chuckle against her hair. “I got you, Hails.” Jay told her. Somewhere between a statement and a promise. Those four words held so much more weight than just what was verbally said.</p><p>--</p><p>It was just a little after seven when Jay got up out of bed and came down to the main level of the penthouse. He’d been slowly awakened from his slumber by what sounded like the familiar sound of what Jay liked to call Hailey’s ‘assistant voice.’</p><p> Her usual soft and sweet voice would be put far away when she was in assistant mode. And the blonde would be focussed on one thing and one thing only, making Jay’s job and life as easy as could be. And no one would stand in her way when she was doing so.</p><p>“The 7th at 12pm is perfect. Thank you so much, and he’ll see you then, bye.” Hailey hung up her cell just as Jay was stepping off the last step and walking into the kitchen.</p><p>“Clara from West Spa called. They’re closed Monday for some kind of a half-day reno job. So, your massage has been rescheduled to Friday at 12 instead of Thursday.” Hailey informed him from where she sat up at the island, her laptop open in front of her, several files and documents seemingly meticulously organized into a work-from-home station, and her cell blowing up with notifications like it did when they were at the office.</p><p>Jay came around to the side of the island where Hailey was set up and lowered her laptop screen in momentary interruption of whatever she was engrossed in.</p><p>Hailey turned her head to look at him with a raised brow. “I told you to take a few days off and clear your head.” Jay reminded her of their earlier conversation.</p><p>She smiled at him with a grateful smile. It meant a lot to her just how much he cared for her well-being, and Hailey would never want to do anything to discourage him from it, even if he did tend to go overboard sometimes.</p><p>“Jay, I need this.” Hailey told him, almost pleading. “Hailey –” “Jay.” She cut him off. “I need to keep myself busy and distracted. Or I am going to sit on that couch, think about Clay out there, plotting to kill me, and I’m going to break down again.</p><p>Let me do my job, please.” She begged him. Jay looked at her warily, not sure whether or not to cave here.</p><p>“If I start goin’ off the rails again and can’t handle working, you’re gonna be right here in the same penthouse, and I have no doubt about you shutting me down if I do.” She rephrased, and Jay knew he couldn’t argue there.</p><p>“I’m watching you, blondie.” Jay warned with a playful grin. “Yeah, when aren’t you?” Hailey poked back, picking up her phone and answering another call before Jay could come back at her.</p><p>“Jay Halstead’s office.” Hailey grinned wickedly at him with a raised brow. Jay shook his head at her with a soft laugh, then left her to her work while he made some breakfast.</p><p>After spending a few hours on a call in his office that made watching paint dry sound like a concert, Jay made his way back into the main are just as Hailey was shutting down her computer and sticking her phone on the nearest charger.</p><p>“Done for the day?” He asked her, coming around to the island. “Yeah. What’d you wanna do for dinner?” Hailey then wondered.</p><p>“Adam and Kim are gonna come by with some takeout, just hangout for the night and have some fun for a change.” Jay told her. “Oh, sounds nice.” The blonde lit up at the idea.</p><p>“So, if you wouldn’t mind grabbing a bottle of wine from the cellar…” Jay stopped himself at the quirked-brow look Hailey was giving him.</p><p>“I’m off the clock, Halstead. Get your own wine.” She grinned at him, headed for the couch to relax before their friends arrived.</p><p>Jay rolled his eyes and shook his head at her, fighting a grin of his own. “Remind me why I keep you around again?” He threw back at her, headed to select a bottle of while.</p><p>“Because who else is gonna put up with you unless they’re being paid to do it? I can admit that I’m equal parts pain in the ass and nobody besides you will put up with me. That’s why we’re such perfect best friends.” She beamed, making Jay laugh.</p><p>“Cause I fend off sleazy guys at the bar and drag your drunk ass home when you’ve had one too many?” Jay smirked at the blonde, his grin faltering at the glare Hailey sent his way.</p><p>“Or, is maybe because until I came along you’d never –” “Eh! We agreed! Never to speak of again!” He cracked her up with that.</p><p>“Like I said, Halstead. You’re screwed without me, and I’m just as screwed without you and this job.” Hailey told him, her tone a little somber and more serious.</p><p>Jay came and sat down beside her on the couch. “Your job’s not goin’ anywhere, Hails, I promise you that.” She lifted her head and looked up at him.</p><p>“Far as I’m concerned, we’re a duet, and I don’t do my job half as well without you. Check with Kaitlyn in statistics; numbers prove that.” Hailey cracked a small smile at that.</p><p>She dropped her head back down, looking at her hands as she chewed on her lip for. “This job fell into my lap when my life was at an all-time low. And I know I’ve never told you why, I –” “Hailey. I told you then, and I’ll keep telling you every day, that you do not need to tell me anything unless you’re ready to.</p><p>You told me what you did about Clay, I know it was hell for you to relive it. You tell me your life was in shambles before you came to work for us, and I believe you. No more details required.” Jay assured her.</p><p>She nodded her head and took another breath. “I wake up in the morning feeling… good. Excited. Because I know I’m gonna walk into that building, sit down at the desk in my office, and do my favourite thing in the world, which is working as your assistant.</p><p>And I always hated that word. Cringed at the idea of being the girl some guy in an expensive suit barked at to fetch him this, and do that for him.</p><p>But it was the total opposite with you.” Hailey looked back up at him. “You treated me like a human, smiled at me, talked to me instead of at me… Flash forward three months and I can’t imagine my life without you and this job.” She expressed.</p><p>“Well.” Jay smiled. “That is one thing you will never have to worry about. Because as long as my firm exists, and I have my company and my job, so do you.” He told her.</p><p>Hailey attempted half a smile, but it seemed almost impossible. “And now there’s a deranged psychopath after me, swearing revenge for putting him in prison.” She brought back up.</p><p>Jay took her hand in his, making Hailey look back at him. “Nothing’s gonna touch you, Hails, you understand me? Nothing. This isn’t some box-office hit movie where I leave you alone one night, and Clay breaks in through a window, wielding a knife until I magically come flying in with security to save your life.” Hailey managed a short laugh there.</p><p>“Like I told you. 30 floors up in the air, bulletproof glass, 24-hour detail. You believe me when I tell you that you’re safe?” Hailey nodded her head, her short smile much more convincing this time.</p><p>“Always feel safe when you’re around.” Hailey dropped her head to his shoulder. Jay wrapped his arm around her, holding his best friend close.</p><p>“That’s why I’ve known you for three months and it feels like three decades.” She told him. Jay smiled at the thought. “I know just what you mean.” He agreed.</p><p>Their moment was soon interrupted by a buzzing on the call-box by the door. Jay rose from the couch to answer it, holding down the button and speaking into it.</p><p>“Hello?” Jay answered it. “Mr. Halstead, Ms. Burgess and Mr. Ruzek are here.” Max’s voice came through.</p><p>“Thanks, man. Send ‘em up.” Jay told his head of security.</p><p>The two arrived at the door just a few moments later. Jay opened the door to reveal Kim and Adam coming in with boxes of takeout at hand.</p><p>“Man. You got this place turned into Fort Knox.” Adam joked, immediately earning himself the back of Kim’s hand smacking his shoulder. The three of them turning their heads to see Hailey drop hers, a look of guilt across her features.</p><p>Jay shot his business partner a look, before moving over towards Hailey. “Want the pad Thai or the general Tao, Hails?” He asked her.</p><p>“Uh… Whatever you’re not having is fine.” She answered him simply. Meanwhile, as Jay and Adam unloaded dinner and served it onto some plates, Kim stepped over towards the blonde, as the two embraced.</p><p>“How are you doing?” Kim asked Hailey. “I… Honestly, I’m still trying to… process everything.” The blonde admitted to her friend.</p><p>“Dude. Is this new?” They both looked over at where Adam was currently drooling over Jay’s pool table sitting in the lounge area of the penthouse.</p><p>“Yeah. Needed something new, and they came out with this one about a month or so ago. So, I figured why not?” Jay told his buddy.</p><p>“Well. Guess it’s as good a time as any for you to gimme that rematch from the other night.” Adam said to Jay.</p><p>“And… that is our cue to beat it. Way too much testosterone and ego in one room.” Hailey threw Kim’s way, making the brunette crack up.</p><p>“I heard that, Upton!” Jay’s voice called, as she grabbed the bottle of wine and two glasses off the counter. “You were supposed to, Halstead!” The blonde threw back, as she and Kim left the guys to their game and stepped out onto the balcony.</p><p>Sliding the door closed behind them, Hailey and Kim took either of the two patio chairs. Hailey popped open the wine and poured a glass each.</p><p>“Kim. I’m uh… I’m really sorry for the way I talked to you the other morning.” Hailey told her, immediately getting a headshake from Kim.</p><p>“No, No. Hailey, I way overstepped, stuck my head into a matter that wasn’t any of my business…” Kim rambled.</p><p>“Really.” Hailey insisted, silencing the brunette. “I was trying to push it down and pretend that I was fine. And it took Jay practically ripping me from my desk and sending me home to realize that I was falling apart inside and about half a minute from breaking down.</p><p>He did that cause of you. And you did so for no reason but genuine concern for my well-being, and I can’t be mad at that.” Hailey told her, making Kim smile back at her.</p><p>Without another word, Kim held her glass up in Hailey’s direction. “Truce.” She said to Hailey. Hailey beamed at that and clinked her glass with Kim’s. “Truce.” The blonde agreed.</p><p>“So… how has it been living with Jay?” Kim wondered, as they leaned back in the patio chairs.</p><p>“I can’t believe I’m admitting this out loud… but I kinda like it.” That earned Hailey a surprised look from her friend.</p><p>“I mean, Jay and I already spend all day every day together, you’d think we wanna be as far away from each other as possible at the end of the day. But he’s my best friend. I am at my happiest when I’m around him.</p><p>And with all this… shit going on… I feel safe and like I can actually breathe because he’s here with me, with this whole plan of action to protect me.” Hailey told her friend.</p><p>“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?” The blonde looked up and raised a brow at that. “Bad?” Hailey questioned.</p><p>Kim smiled at her sympathetically. “You’re happier when you’re around Jay, or when you’re thinking about him. Your job is eons better than you thought it was gonna be because of who he is and how much better he makes your job. He respects you and treats you like a partner in crime rather than an assistant standing around waiting to be given her next order.</p><p>You hang out outside of work because beyond working together, you genuinely are best friends whose lives are better when you’re together…” Kim painted her a picture, making sudden realizations hit Hailey like a tidal wave.</p><p>“There’s no way Jay feels that way about me.” Hailey argued, dropping her head back against the lawn chair. </p><p>“There’s no way?” Kim questioned. “Hailey, look at the lengths the guy has gone to just to keep you safe.” She countered.</p><p>“Well, yeah. I mean, I don’t doubt he cares about me, and sure as hell doesn’t want me dead. Like I said, he’s my best friend, and Jay’s explicitly said I’m his. I just don’t think he sees me as anything more than that.” Hailey explained.</p><p>Turning their heads around to see Adam and Jay engrossed in their game of pool, currently laughing their heads off at something, neither of the girls could contain a smile and their amusing antics.</p><p>“You sure you don’t feel that way?” Kim asked Hailey, making a sudden pit form in the center of the blonde’s stomach she couldn’t recall ever having felt before.</p><p>Did she feel that way?</p>
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